How it feels sending you a newsletter full of positivity each and every week:

I know this time of year can be stressful for some, no matter how many blessings it may also bring. So here’s your reminder to take care of yourself, starting with this little mental health break.

Have a fantastic week, and a Happy Thanksgiving to all of our American subscribers. I am so grateful for you!

-Kailyn

Ready, Set, Go: Today's newsletter takes ~3.49 minutes to read (929 words).

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I give myself grace on hard days and release the pressure to be perfect.

After a decade of mental-health struggles and alcohol addiction, one Briton found something unexpectedly life-saving: sitting by the water with a fishing rod. 

Now, his personal lifeline has turned into a full-blown, gov't-supported mental health program that's catching on across the UK.

Introducing: Tackling Minds, a volunteer-run group founded by Dave Lyons that offers free fishing lessons and equipment to people struggling with their mental health.

• Doctors and nurses can literally prescribe angling sessions for people dealing with anxiety, depression, or social isolation. 
• So far, 2,300+ patients have been handed a fishing pole alongside (or instead of) a prescription bottle.

How it works: Participants are paired with trained angling coaches, and given all the gear they need, funded in part by the National Lottery and Angling Trust.

• Every fish is safely released, but the benefits tend to stick. 
• Many patients report lower anxiety, stronger social connection, and a reason to get out of the house. “People we’ve worked with have said it’s saved their lives,” Lyons said.

Lyons’ work has now earned the UK’s highest volunteer honor: the King’s Award for Voluntary Service, which he’ll collect later this year before heading to a Buckingham Palace garden party. He’s dedicating the award to Tackling Minds’ late ambassador, former boxing champion Ricky Hatton, who supported the group’s mental-health mission before his death.

What’s next? Tackling Minds hopes to expand to benefit as many people as possible. Lyons’ goal is simple: make sure anyone who needs a peaceful moment by the water can get one—on the doctor’s orders.

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A bunch of dogs on wheels who have the zoomies. UK non-profit organization Broken Biscuits just opened what’s believed to be the world’s first disabled dog park, featuring seven sprawling acres for all Ferrari-Fidos to run and play freely. 

• The dogs can complete the learners course and get their “doggie drivers license" before moving on to the race track or skate rink for more experienced dogs.

🥺⚽️ Grab your tissues… When the University of Washington’s women’s soccer team won the Big Ten tournament championship game earlier this month, it meant more to them than what was on the scoreboard. The athletes said they played in honor of Mia Hamant, their teammate who had passed just days before.

🎨 Art history: A 1940 self-portrait by the legendary Frida Kahlo sold for $54.7 million in a New York art auction last week, claiming the new record for top sale price by a female artist.

❤️ Aley Clark founded the Black Girl Playground in Chicago after difficult financial times that prevented her from meeting with friends. Her new social wellness club offers low or no-cost activities—like free walks and exercise classes—to encourage women to get out and make new friendships.

Lots of good food, of course 😋.

Kidding! The answer we're looking for is living our lives with gratitude.

How can you incorporate more gratitude into your day-to-day? Check out the list below for some easy ways to put into practice this week.

1. Start a gratitude journal. Whether at the start or end of each day, take a few moments to write down 3-5 things that you are grateful for.
2. Compose a gratitude letter. Sit down and write a letter to someone you are grateful for but may not have expressed it lately. Send or text them the letter and tell them to pass it on.
3. Get outside and stay present. Go on a nature walk and let yourself feel grateful for all of the simple things nature provides for us. Really see the leaves on the trees, the sun peaking through the clouds, and hear the birds singing.
4. Chat with friends and family about what you're grateful for. Ask your people what was the best part of their day. Share what you've been feeling especially grateful for lately, and celebrate their wins.

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Welcome to my favorite section of the newsletter, where we take a moment to celebrate you!

Now I love writing about good stories from around the globe, but there’s just something extra special about sharing all of your good news.

⬇️ Check out the wins this week.

💪 Carey T. from Arlington, VA, is inspiring us all…

• "I was in a snow accident last Feb and had a brain injury. I have been working hard at OT, PT, and Speech Therapy to get well enough so I can hold my year old and 1 month grandsons. I am 98% better with a lot of hard work."

🫂 One anonymous subscriber is thankful for therapy…

• "I have recently finished trauma therapy and I'm feeling so much better after it. After several bad or lackluster experiences, I finally found a great therapist and mode for me. It was worth not giving up on!"

🎉 Alice B. from Newcastle, CA, is proving hard work pays off…

• “I finally finished a refinishing project for a client that I have been working on and off since April. So happy to have it off my plate and the client was so pleased she paid me more than I had billed her for. “

💍Lu P. is proud of their daughter…

• "She did it! Our daughter got married! The wedding planning was stressful for her, but with help she had a beautiful wedding. Great job!"

Even if you've been celebrated before, we'd love to keep receiving good news. Please don't hesitate to participate!

😌 Your self-care moment, delivered. Stretch Break is InHerSight’s free wellness and lifestyle newsletter made for cozy reads, mindful breaks, and a little inbox serenity. Scroll softly & subscribe here. ☕

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Do you have a recommendation you want to share with our readers? Simply reply to this email to get in touch and be included in a future edition!

Today’s trivia theme is all things show biz. How many can you get?

1. Which Broadway musical holds the record as the longest-running show in history, with 13,000+ performances before it closed in 2023?
2. Before becoming a global hit and record-breaking film, which musical started as a concept album by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice?
3. In Hadestown, which character delivers the spoken-word, jazz-infused “Wait for Me (Intro)” monologue that breaks the fourth wall and warns the audience about the nature of the story?
4. In Hamilton, which Founding Father delivers the fastest patter verse in the show, at ~6.3 words/second, during the song "Guns and Ships?"

Whether you had an energizing conversation with a friend, beat a sickness, met a milestone at work, or booked a trip you were always dreaming about, we want to hear about it.

There is always something to be grateful for, and no win is too small. And who knows? Sharing a bit of positivity from your own life could inspire someone else to recognize the good in theirs🥰. That's what Positive DONUT is all about.

So what are you waiting for? Submit your wins here for a chance to be featured in next week's newsletter. We want to celebrate you!

1. Phantom of the Opera
2. Jesus Christ Superstar
3. Hermes
4. Marquis de Lafayette

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